David Luiz has gone from Chelsea clown to Blues ringmaster since returning to Stamford Bridge
Brazilian star has shone since the switch to a three-man defence under Antonio Conte
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FROM Sideshow Bob to Bob’s your uncle.
The Chelsea clown has turned into the Blues’ ringmaster.
And no-one saw that coming when David Luiz made his shock £34million Stamford Bridge return on transfer deadline day.
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Most thought Antonio Conte needed his head checking to splash out such a fee on the shaggy-haired Brazilian.
After all, the Blues bean-counters could not believe their luck when they banked £50m from Paris Saint-Germain for Luiz in 2014, given his subsequent disastrous displays in his home World Cup.
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The defender, 29, hardly enhanced his reputation in France either.
Who forgets the way Luis Suarez nutmegged Luiz for both of his goals in Barcelona’s Champions League quarter-final first-leg win at the Parc des Princes in 2015?
So with all that in mind, it seemed laughable that boss Conte would want the centre-half back at the Bridge.
Nobody is laughing anymore.
For Luiz has been the star of Chelsea’s three-man defence which has now not conceded for nine hours and 50 minutes, and six-straight winning games.
There is no doubt he has been the biggest beneficiary of Conte’s switch to a 3-4-3 formation.
As one of two central defenders, Luiz - and subsequently Chelsea - looked vulnerable. He would too often go wandering and leave the back four exposed.
But in a three, with Cesar Azpilicueta and Gary Cahill by his side, Luiz has protection.
And he is able to drop off his two partners, getting time on the ball to start attacks and become Chelsea’s deep-lying playmaker.
Luiz’s ball-playing ability has never been in question. In fact, some pundits thought the Blues would have to play him in midfield because they could not risk him at the back.
But Conte is getting the best of both worlds from his player.
And that was evident in Sunday’s 1-0 win at Middlesbrough, when we saw Luiz’s quality in defence and attack.
Aside from one late chance, he snuffed out the threat of Alvaro Negredo, matching Boro’s big burly striker physically, and keeping his concentration throughout.
And then he nearly set-up a second Chelsea goal when he won the ball ahead of Negredo, skipped past Marten de Roon and sent a dazzling diagonal ball into Costa, whose knockdown led to Pedro crashing against the bar.
Funnily enough, the stats show that Luiz, in his new position, is actually less involved in matches than he once was, in terms of passes and touches.
But that is proving to be no bad thing.
In 2012-13, the season when he made his most appearances for Chelsea, Luiz averaged 51 passes a game and 67 touches.
And in his first two Premier League games of this season - defeats to Liverpool and Arsenal - he averaged 60 passes and 75 touches.
But since Conte’s change to three at the back, which has coincided with Chelsea's six-match clean-sheet run, Luiz is down to 42 passes a match and just 56 touches.
So less is clearly more when it comes to Luiz - and even his chief critics are starting to take note.
Back in November 2011, after Chelsea lost to Liverpool at home, Gary Neville delivered one of the most damning and memorable jibes about Luiz.
The Sky Sports pundit taunted how he had played as if he was “controlled by a ten-year-old in the crowd on a PlayStation” - a comment the player later claimed lacked “respect”.
But last week Neville admitted: “The three at the back suits David Luiz perfectly. He seems to be making good decisions.
“He seems to be selecting when to play out from the back and when to get rid of it. He seems to be more mature.”
Many more pundits will be forced to eat their words should Luiz go on to be a key figure in a Blues title win.
And lifting his first Premier League trophy is the sole target for this one-time figure of fun.
Luiz said: "We are doing an amazing job, but we need to keep our feet on the floor.
"It's good we are top of the league, but we need to understand it's just the beginning."